Akona Low Cut Socks

I love these! I’ve been wearing training swim fins in a lap pool 4-5 days a week, for over an hour each time I swim, so I needed something to help prevent blisters/rubbing from the fins. These neoprene Akona socks are the perfect solution, and keep my feet nice and warm! They are very well made, easy to put on while I’m in the water, and fit so better much than I expected. I normally wear a women’s 9-9.5 shoe, but I purchased the Men’s 9/Women’s 10 size Akona socks after some reviewers indicated they might run a bit small. I’m really glad I chose these instead of a “generic” brand, since Akona is known for dive boots/socks and wetsuits (I checked their website before purchasing) so think these will last a very long time! After swimming in a saltwater pool, I rinse with cool tap water/soak with woolite and then air dry, the same way I wash my swimsuits. I never machine wash or dry them. So far so good- They stay in place perfectly, and haven’t stretched out at all. I have tender feet, and I’m easily bothered by rough seams in socks, so I was surprised to find that the seams on these are well placed, and are so smooth that I can’t even feel them while wearing. At 2mm, these are the right weight, and add just the right amount of “padding” to make my swim fins fit much better. And I think they will also provide good insulation for cold weather swimming/dive purposes. I purchased these at full price, and am not receiving any kind of discount or compensation for my review. I find reviews written by other consumers to be incredibly helpful when making purchases, so I hope my thoughts have been helpful to you, as well!

UPDATE May 21, 2012: So I took a closer look and there ARE side vents to drain water, so I WAS VERY WRONG. As such, I'm changing my rating back up to 5 stars and I'm going to reiterate that the side vents must make a big difference since the water that stays in the booties was only a little bit. I hate the water slosh effect on my feet, so I'm hyper sensitive about it and although I *noticed* water in them, it didn't drive me crazy. I recommend. ******************************** UPDATE May 18, 2012: I guess the description says there are side vents to drain water. THIS IS NOT THE CASE WITH THE PAIR I GOT. It looks like the same fabric is used for the entire booty, whereas in the photo, it looks like there are two different materials used. They still function how I need them to, but they DO retain water. If I recall correctly, I chose these over others because of the side vents even though they were thinner neoprene. I've already done a seller review so I can't change that, but I'm lowering this rating to a 3 star because of the false advertising. I'll be happy to change it if anyone can demonstrate that I'm in error. Regardless, they're fine for what I need and I would recommend them to anyone who's not going to be ticked off about the lack of side vents. ******************************** I bought some slip on fins that are meant to be worn barefoot but they were just a tad too big. The bargain was too good to pass up though, so I got them anyways. Knowing that with wet feet I might struggle to stay in them, I decide to look for some socks. These fit the bill perfectly! Here's what I thought about different aspects: Size: just as described. I'm a size 8.5 women's and I got the 7 men's and they fit like a glove. A little tight because I think they're supposed to be. They stretch just fine and I'm very happy with the fit. Thickness: I was thinking that 3mm might be too much but really, I probably could have used another 1mm for the size of my fins. That said -- these seem like they are 2mm as advertised and it'll be enough to serve my needs. Water: They don't have vents or holes or anything (as advertised) so when I got out of the water, there was a little bit of sloshing. That said, since they fit so snuggly, it wasn't a huge deal and I just popped the heel off with my thumb and let the water drain. Other: Turns out, they make great little out-of-water booties. I wore them in the public change rooms/bathrooms and I was so thankful I had them so I didn't have to go barefoot. Overall, I'm very pleased and would recommend to anyone. I even plan on wearing them in my boots if I go on cold-weather hikes or snowshoes. :D

I bought these to wear with fins while snorkeling to protect my feet from blisters. Quickly found that my fins just kept slipping off no matter how tightly adjusted. Was distracting from the snorkeling sights. They were very helpful though in protecting my feet on the rocky beach before getting in the water. Next time out, I went without the socks on a smoother sand beach--no problem keeping the fins on without the socks. Glad I got the socks though. They'll be useful for certain occasions, just not what I intended. Quality seems fine, especially for the low price. They fit snugly, which is what they should do. I wear a women's size 6 shoe. Ordered size 5 sock.

Work Perfectly! Exactly what I wanted. I use these as a buffer between my feet and snorkeling fins, to not get sores on my feet. I use to use regular socks but I upgraded to these booties and they are much better than regular socks. I highly recommend, especially for people who snorkel or dive. So comfortable. And I love that they are a bit higher on the back of your ankle than regular socks. So great when wearing fins! And keep your warmer as well when swimming in cooler temperatures like springs water which is at least 72 degrees cold, and colder other times of the year 😉

I’m a women’s size 8.5 and ordered the men’s 7/women’s 8, and they fit perfectly. These seem nice quality and durable but only time will tell. The coverage is fantastic, comes up high enough on the heal to offer blister protection. **Update** I've used these several times now and they've held up great. Would definitely buy again.